My First (Un)Official Weigh-In (short post)

Well, between the flu and Pneumonia having a dance off inside my body this week I have not worked out once! I have hardly eaten anything healthy, let along eat at all. I could not have picked a better week to BEGIN AGAIN!  Let's just say it hasn't been pretty. I have been one sick girl.

Friday's are me new weigh in Days, so I did get up and weigh in today just to give myself a starting point. Though it is not a number I like or a number I wanted to see, it is better than I thought it would be.
Here is my first official Weigh in of 2013...

While that is not where I want to be, I did expect for it to be higher. I wanted to post before pics today, but I think I might scare all of you away with how atrocious I look right now from being sick and in bed the majority of the week.  I am ready to get my strength back and start working on my health again! 

Here's to healthy living in 2013!!

Allison

My First Road Block

THE FLU!!!

Yep, I managed to get it this year. This is the very first time I have ever had the Flu, and I do not wish it on my worst enemy. (Well, maybe on my worst enemy)  :)

When it Rains It pours, right. It seems lately there is always something keeping from getting into a routine or healthy lifestyle. I have a million excuses in case you ever need to borrow one. SERIOUSLY, I could write a book on excuses.

I tend to have an "All or Nothing" outlook on life. If I screw up I need to START OVER. Here are some examples of the way I think:

* I cannot start a DIET until Monday since it is the first day of the week.
* Well, I ruined my healthy eating today by eating that piece of candy, might as well eat whatever I want the rest of the day.
* When I start my diet and when I start to work out I am going to Rock at it!
* It's the weekend... I can eat whatever I want and I will start over on Monday.
* I wish I looked like HER.
* My work schedule is too Crazy!

Right now I just would like to get back on track, but it seems there is always something in the way of it. For instance, I have the FLU right now. While I know that is not an excuse or something I can control, I am tired of not being able to jump in and get started on myself again. I feel gross, uncomfortable, and unhealthy right now. I have so many positives in my life, and I need to sit back and take it all in. This is so much more than a fight to be skinny... it is about my life. I tend to ignore the bad in my life. I avoid it like the plague... I run in the other direction. I have let other things in my life spin out-of-control as well, and this year I want to pull it all back together.

I am routined person, and I think that is okay, but I have to learn to live healthily and put myself and my life first. I do have an intense work schedule, and I am having an issue getting used to it and getting to the gym regularly as well.  I had to cancel my personal training sessions because it was getting way to expensive, and I felt it was necessary financially for me at this time. I have joined a new gym that is much more affordable with the same type of training.

After this Terrible FLU leaves my body I am getting back on the wagon. Any suggestions will be helpful.  :)


Allie

Let's Try This Again

I know, I know... I've been here before.

I actually "started over" again around this same time last year. I guess the New Year makes us all want to renew, change, and refresh. This year has been a whirlwind of change for me. It was a great year, and I have learned so much about myself.  I am about to encounter even more changes, and I decided I wanted and needed some accountability along the way. That is where the BLOG comes in. I think it is therapeutic and stressful for me all at once, but I want to give it a go again. I gained so much during my few blogging years.

To update you all, I still live in Beautiful Winston Salem, NC, and I am about to move to the downtown area. I am super excited, and cannot wait to show you all pictures of my new place. I am now the Executive Director for a Long Term Facility for geriatrics patients with dementia, an though it is the toughest thing I have ever done it is also the most rewarding. I absolutely love what I do. My job keeps me very busy, which can be great, but it also be a big pain in the booty when it comes to having any kind of outside life... including exercising!  I have actually done OK this year, but I am far from my goal. I started working out with a personal trainer, and it is amazing what motivation that brings.  Knowing I have an appointment with him makes a world of difference. Through training I have met some wonderful, life long friends who have been there each step of the way. I lost 15 pounds and started developing some major definition in my arms, abs etc. I was stoked to say the least!! I also started doing Zumba three nights a week with an amazing group of people. Here is a little taste of where I had come...

Some of you may remember some of these pictures from a few years back when I actually blogged on a regular basis.  I had come a long way!!  (Side note - I am far from the last picture now)
I thought, "I am on a roll... nothing can stop me!" Life has a funny way of throwing curve balls at you when you least expect it. I went through a tough break up (again... long story for another day), was in rough shape mentally and emotionally due to work related BS.  But I think it was just what I needed to help get me back on track. I have taken many steps to begin changing my life for the better, and I cannot wait to share with you all of those fun things down the road. I did, however, begin to ignore my health. I began over-eating and over-indulging again along with just occasionally working out, and I have kept up this trend until now. It is time to change it. Much of my recent inspiration came from Keelie over at REAL FAT. She was an inspiration to me in the past, and she too has "started over."  Reading her blog again gave me enough push to try again. This time with a different outlook... The Scale does not make me who I am!!!  I want to lose weight for me and me alone; I want to be healthy because I choose to; I want to share it with you because I cannot do it all alone! I will be turning 30 this year, and I want to be proud of how far I have come by that time. I have many things to work on - self love included.

I want this Blog to be more than a "Weight loss Journey... I Want to Wear a Bikini Blog."  I want it to be about MY COMPLICATED LIFE!  I want to invite you join me, critique me, love me, encourage me. I know I will need it. I will be taking recent Before Pics and posting them this week.

HERE WE GO! Thank you to all of you who have stuck with me and will be with me this go round! Here are a few Pics from my 2012 Life:  Real time pics to follow soon!!!

I have now lost some muscle definition and gained about 20 pounds back. (I do not know my current weight because I am Scared to get on the scale)  But, this is where it all begins! I am READY... are YOU?